Parking prohibited along service road stretch

Starting this afternoon, parking will be prohibited along Narrows Road North from Fingerboard Road to Hylan Boulevard between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., Monday through Friday, until further notice.

The city's Department of Transportation is implementing the new regulation to help ease the crush of traffic on the service road caused by the new traffic pattern at the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge toll plaza.

For the next three months, all Staten Island-bound traffic exiting on the lower level of the bridge must use the Bay Street, Lily Pond, or Fingerboard Road exits. No access to the Staten Island Expressway is available from the lower level. Instead, drivers must take the service road to Clove Road before they can re-enter the highway.

The service road has been jammed and local roads have been gridlocked since the change was made earlier this week. Meanwhile, drivers on the upper level have experienced lighter-than-normal traffic on the expressway to Clove Road.